An Innovative Approach to Observational Field Experiences in Higher Education

Abstract

Field experiences within teacher education programs are vital aspects of the higher education experience. The purpose of this article is to examine students' perceptions of classroom-based field experiences and to determine the role that technology-based field experiences may play in institutions of higher education. The survey data indicate that while candidates perceive that classroom-based field experiences are in-valuable in defining their professional choices, the data also indicated positive candidate perceptions of technology-based field experiences. Candidate focus group responses indicated that a combination of both classroom and technology-based field experiences are beneficial to candidates in teacher preparation pro-grams. The implications of this study indicate that future research must be conducted as to the manner in which technology-based field experiences may be enriched in higher education.